Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-01-01
MAIDS.
Their Faults and Virtues.

period of life at which girlhood ends
and old-maidenhood begins is very
unsettled and discordant. Misses of
twenty are apt to consider all their
unmarried lady friends, who have
passed their thirtieth year, as alb
solutely old maids; those at thirty
suppose the era begins at about the
age of forty-five, and some women at
fifty lose no opportunity of indicating
that they are still girls, by which it
is to be assumed the old-maidenism
is postponed indefinitely, at least in
their cases. But it is fair to suppose
that when single woman has passed
her fortieth year she may be consider
ed as standing-if not within the
gates-at least on the threshold
which divides youth from age. But
it is also true that years have very
little to do with it. Some persons
appear to have been born old, white
others seem to have in them the
springs of perpetual youth. Ninon
de L'Enclos, who was belle at
eighty, kept in her heart as
in her face the freshness and
sprightliness Of youth, and never
grew old, despite her crown of years.
An old young maid is most depress-
ing sight; while young old maid,
provided she does not affect infantile
skittishness, is quite the reverse.
1t is, and seems to have been from
the earliest years, the fashion to
direct the sings and arrows Of ridi-
Guile and criticism at "old maids"
That grave injustice is often done the
sisterhood there can be no doubt.
Curiosity, the love of gossip, acridity
and sourness of temper, and numer-
Gus other undesirable qualities, are
attributed to them, often without the
shadow of an excuse. The fits OF
temper and the habits of tittle-tattle
so often INDUCED in by married wo-
men are forgiven, or not thought OF
at all, while the same failings in
maidens of uncertain years are set
down to the acerbity engendered by
her life of single blessedness. Now,
am not prepared to say that undue
interest in the affairs of other people
is not a prevailing characteristic OF
old maids. 1t would indeed be very
remarkable if it were not so, on the
principle that the mind is so con-
stituted that it must be employed.
The married woman has, or is sup.
posed to have, duties that engross
more or less of her attention, while
the spinster has no such refuge. BE
that as it may, each one must ans.
wer for her own faults and shortcom.
ings, and if she make society suffer
for them, society will unreservedly
mete out just punishment.
The old maid who affirms that she
never wished to marry, pronounces
the severest satire upon her own
heart. A female who never felt al
any period of her life desire to en-.
gage in the duties, or share in the de.
lights of that state to which all hu.
man beings are drawn by force Of
nature and reason, must be utterly
devoid of tenderness and the heaven
born instinct with which all creation
are rightly endowed. l do not ex
pect that this sentiment will NEE
with an unqualified endorsement
from the spinsterhood; but certain il
is that in every true woman's eyes
there peeps out longing to have {
home and u husband and babies o
her very own, and it is no less true
that thousands of old maids would
have made most excellent wives anC
mothers. That the instinct is strong
within them is shown by the unaffect
ed feeling which they display in con
templating the domestic joys of theil
married friends.
Alteration is another failing 0
ancient maidens that calls forth fire.
quent satire-the oppressive dread O
not appearing young, and, in con
sequence, assuming the dress and al
the kittenish airs and graces of 10
But in looking about among my fel
lOw-women / have observed quite a
many married as single ones whc
were victims of this sort of folly. I
is the special province of woman t,
look as pretty as she can, and to hole
on to her youth to the utmost is he
duty; but there are ways and ways o
doing this without making herself ;
subject of ridicule instead of admira
ton. The "autumnal sisterhood'
are, moreover, distinguished for inge
y